Ministry of Information engages Ghanaians on Constitution Review Report

The Ministry of Information on Thursday announced that it is rolling out series of engagement on the report of the Constitution Review Commission and the Government White Paper.

A statement issued by Mr. Fritz Baffour, Minister of Information, said the programme was to ensure that Ghanaians were well informed about the report of the Constitution Review Commission and the accompanying Government white paper.

The statement said the Ministry through the programme also sought to create platforms for thoroughly interacting with media personnel, officials of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Traditional Authority, as key partners and frontline soldiers who would assist the public to understand the issues raised before the commission in the submission made by Ghanaians.

“The Ministry also seeks, through engagements to gauge public acceptance of the recommendations and take corrective measures in relation to aspects of the Commission’s report and the Government white paper that may need to be modified and tightened up in the Constitution Amendment and Legislative Amendment Bills that would be presented to Parliament to implement the recommendations of the commission and the various administrative changes that may need to be executed by various public institutions in that regard.”

The statement said the Ministry of Information would also use the exercise as a platform to communicate to Ghanaians the few remaining avenues for effecting change in the constitution review process which include the drafting stage of the Constitution and Legislative Amendment Bills at the Attorney-General’s Department, the approval stage by Cabinet, when the Amendment Bills are laid before parliament, the advisory stage by the Council of state and during a referendum by the people.

The Ministry called on all media houses, the NCCE and the National House of Chiefs to respond to the invitations and send two representatives each for the programmes.

The engagement programme which has already started is divided into four sectors namely the Northern, Middle, Central and Southern sectors.

The Middle sector would be held on July 14 and July 15, in Kumasi, the Central sector takes its turns from the July 21 and July 22, in Takoradi and the Southern Sector engagement comes off from July 28 and July 29 in Dodowa.

The Northern sector session had already taken place in Tamale.**